By Susan JAMES Thor and his mighty hammer return in this sequel to the successful 2011 Marvel comic book based movie. It’s richer, darker and even more breathtakingly CGI’ed than the original. And once again Chris Hemsworth as Thor looks hunky, with or without armor, and as rigid as his hammer while Tom Hiddleston’s Loki […]
By Susan JAMES It’s always tricky bringing real events to the screen. Even good movies like Ben Affleck’s 2012 “Argo” can veer toward making one side into the good guys and everyone else into the screaming hoards of evil. Director Paul Greengrass’ new film “Captain Phillips” doesn’t make that mistake. Based on the true story […]
By Susan JAMES Whoever your favorite superhero is – the guy with the bat ears or the cape or the spidey hands – he’s a total wuss compared to our boy Richard Riddick. With his moonglow eyes that see best in the dark and his in-your-face physicality, Vin Diesel’s wanted criminal has been dodging enemies […]
By Susan JAMES Since 2004 and the release of “Shaun of the Dead,” British filmmakers Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright have been creating quirky little comedies that go on to become cult favorites. They write scripts together for Pegg to star in and Wright to direct. According to a recent interview with Pegg, their new […]
By Susan JAMES The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM at 919 South Grand Ave., Los Angeles) has opened its 7th annual exhibition of the art of television costume design which will run through Saturday, Oct. 19. Curated by famed costume designer Mary Rose, the exhibition is free to the public and showcases over […]
By Susan JAMES It may be the Year of the Water God in India and the Year of the Snake in China, but for Germany 2013 marks the Year of the Big Bad Wolf. On Dec. 20, 1812, German brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm published their first book of fairy tales. “Children’s and Household Tales” […]
By Susan JAMES Nearly everyone on planet Earth knows the history of a man called Super. Child of alien parents, shipped into space to save him from certain death on his home world of Krypton, pint-sized refuge at a Kansas farm whose owners raise him as their own. Given the familiarity of the story it […]
By Susan JAMES Arguably one of the best series reboots in movie history, J. J. Abrams’ second installment of the new Star Trek prequel saga, “Star Trek: Into Darkness,” is a worthy addition to its predecessor. Cleverly written and fast-paced, with excellent CGI riffs on actual space photography, Captain Kirk and his intrepid crew make […]
By Susan JAMES A lot of strange creatures have followed the Yellow Brick Road since 1939 when MGM first sent Judy Garland kicking up her red-slippered heels on the way to the Emerald City. The magic of that film with its quest message that if you believe you can remake yourself has echoed down the […]
By Susan JAMES Hollywood abhors a vacuum and with the conclusion of both the Harry Potter and the Twilight series, studios are scrambling to corral the millions of fans who flocked to those films and the millions of dollars they brought with them. The latest entrant in the teenaged, light-versus-dark fantasy sweepstakes is director Richard […]